There are various stamping foils and in particular also hot stamping foils which make it possible to decorate the surface of a substrate in a given desired fashion, that is to say, which permit given decorative elements to be applied to the surface of the substrate. A typical form of stamping foil comprises a decorative layer which is releasably arranged on a carrier film and which can be transferred on to the substrate by means of heat and/or pressure in order then to adhesively stick to the substrate.
In that respect, particularly when using hot stamping foils, it is a common practice to provide for transfer of the hot stamping foil on to the surface of the substrate by means of a die or stamping punch which is patterned to correspond to the desired decoration on the substrate surface. In that process, when the stamping punch acts on the hot stamping foil, the decorative layer which is arranged on the hot stamping foil over the entire surface area thereof is only transferred on to the substrate surface in the raised regions of the stamping punch. Although that procedure already permits the substrate surface to be of a really attractive configuration, limits are however set both in regard to the coloration thereof and also in regard to the degree of fineness of the decoration.
In order to permit multi-color decoration of the substrate surface, the decorative layer of a stamping foil such as a hot stamping foil may be of a configuration corresponding to the desired decoration, for example the decorative layer may be produced with a multi-color print. That procedure suffers from the disadvantage that a comparatively high level of machine expenditure is required for the decorative layer to be of a multi-color nature. Moreover, if in addition the decoration is not to be provided on the substrate over the entire surface thereof, special expensive means must be used to ensure that the stamping punch or the stamping roller by means of which the decorative layer of the stamping foil is stamped on to the substrate precisely coincides with the decoration of the stamping foil.
A common shortcoming of both the processes as outlined above is that variations in the configuration of the decoration are not possible or they are possible only at the cost of quite serious difficulties. For example there are situations in which the decoration on a substrate which is decorated by means of a stamping foil is to change from one item to another, for example in order to provide the respective correspondingly decorated elements with a serial number. A similarly individual identification can also be afforded by applying a name, a picture or image or the like, in which case the nature of the decoration on a substrate can be desirable in particular as a security element. Reference should here be directed just to the possibility of so designing identity cards or passes, credit cards or in general terms security documents, in such a way as to provide a suitable association with a specific person or an article, for example a vehicle, in a manner which is as forgery-proof as possible.
Admittedly, it is already known for that purpose to provide the decorative layer of a hot stamping foil with an individualising identification, by means of a thermal printing process, before the hot stamping foil is then applied to the substrate. However that procedure also offers only extremely limited options in terms of the design configuration of the decoration.
In the case of stamping foils with a continuous decorative layer covering the entire surface area, there is under some circumstances also the danger that, for example when using a stamping punch which is damaged or which is badly machined, the stamping image produced in the decorative layer on the substrate is not a clean one, either by virtue of the contours being ragged and untidy, or by virtue of the fact that the decorative layer does not adhere cleanly to the substrate in a region-wise manner thereof, for example because of a poor substrate surface. As already mentioned, particular problems arise in connection with the region-wise transfer of decorative layers which are patterned in themselves, as in that case just comparatively minor flaws in regard to orientation of the stamping tool on the one hand and the pattern of the decorative layer on the other hand are clearly visibly reflected on the substrate.